In the row in front of me sits an older couple. We will depart from Vienna Airport in a short while, although at what time? No-one knows, there was not even an announcement of delay up to the point the original departure time was long reached - communication is clearly not a priority today.
I don't mind, as long as there's people to observe it's impossible for me to be bored.
A young man stops at the row in front of me and gestures to the couple he needs them to stand up so he can reach his chair next to the window - the chair in front of me.
He sits down, installs himself, grabs his headphones, and suddenly seems to reconsider: instead of putting his headphones on he turns to the older man and shakes his hand: 'Eid Mubarak', I hear him say.
He must have deducted the couple following Islamic habits which currently means celebrating the end of a month of fasting from the headscarf the older woman wears. The two men shake hands, the woman is (probably politely) ignored, and I hear the young man try to start a conversation. The man, however, only knows how to explain he speaks 'Ein bisschen Deutsch' - a little bit of German.
With some short sentences and hand gestures the two men exchange a short conversation, but the older man in particular seems tired, or insecure, or maybe unsure what to do with the sudden attempt at connecting. He doesn't smile, his eyes look down mostly, he seems to be unresponsive to most of it.
We depart, I look out of the window, take pictures like I always do, because oh boy, is sitting on a chair in the midsts of clouds a wonder or no?
It always will be.
Just when we're again flying below the clouds, I observe the layout I know by heart, of the Netherlands, of it's farm lands, densely build cities, of its many waters, and wonder how people who see this country for the first time see it - like how I always observe all the small differences when landing in a new country.
The older man suddenly sits more upright than during the past 1,5 hours of flying. He looks out the window, past the young man in front of me. The young man notices it, and they start up a new conversation. This time there's more expression on the face of the older man. I might even call it excited. The hand gestures confirm my suspicion. There's a lot of pointing, words, and the young man seems to point out some sights or details of this 'Holland' we're going to arrive in as well.
I don't feel like putting off my headphones with my music on it, although I consider it for a moment, just to listen in on the conversation in short German sentences that go with all the hand gestures. But I decide I won't. I've already decided what this conversation is about: this man has never been to The Netherlands and is amazed by all the little things he sees that are different from the country he knows best.
No listening in needed.